Team Herald
MARGAO: Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar chaired an interdepartmental cooperation meeting regarding the NH 66 widening project in Barcem panchayat area.
The joint meeting was attended by PWD (NH), Tribal Welfare Dept, District Collectorate, Forest Dept and panchayats to facilitate close co-operation to sort out land acquisition matters in Barcem panchayat area for NH 66 four-laning work.
Fatorpa ZP Khushali Velip, Barcem Sarpanch Malu Velip, Bali Dy Sarpanch Pratima Naik and Panch Vishnu Naik, Under Secretary of Revenue Department Sudin Natu, Additional District Collector Prasanna Acharya, Tribal Welfare Director Sandhya Kamat, Chief Engineer of PWD (NH) Umesh Kulkarni, SE Kamat, EE Div XIV Laxmikant Naik, Assistant Engineer Mahantesh Hiremath, DCF Anil Shetgaonkar and ACF Aniket Naik Gaonkar were present.
“Most of the NH widening work is pending in this zone due to difficulties in land acquisition. The land in Barcem area comes under Tribal Rights and Forests. Alignment of the highway is such that the existing panchayat building has to be demolished. Also, to facilitate travel from Khola and Morpirla , I have undertaken construction of two roads, which when completed, will cut short the travel distance from these panchayat areas to Canacona via Barcem. Keeping this in mind, a Kala Bhavan and a fire station have also been proposed and are pending for land acquisition. Both these land issues were discussed along with Tribal Welfare and Forest Depts and a consensus has been reached,” said Kavlekar.
